Mother of Pearl

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful!
Review: I've never read one of Oprah's books, novels like "The Triumph and the Glory" or ""The Eleventh Commandment" are my more usual fare. But my aunt persuaded me to read "Mother of Pearl" and I was captivated by the writing. Melinda Haynes IS a great new voice in American fiction, she has given us a treasure in "Mother of Pearl."

Rating:
Summary: fatally flawed, but not without irridescence
Review: There are times, both quiet and rollicking, when this novel strongly engages the reader. Unfortunately, there are critical points when the story loses its grip, inundating the reader in a torrent of awkward language and surprisingly unnavigable syntax. There are characters that intrigue, but at key moments they seem winnowed away, deserted by their creator and transformed into nothing more than curious bits of flotsam. More than anything else, the novel demonstrates the importance of choosing carefully whose story to tell, which character to frame most prominently. This author appears to have chosen neither wisely nor well; the story suffers accordingly. There are holes indeed, some more glaring than others. There is weak and barely credible resolution. Most damningly, there is a gulf between the worlds of the central characters that the story scarcely begins to bridge, and only superficially recognizes. But, the novel is not without shine...and if one is less than sensitive to the implications of difference (even in Mississippi of the 1950's), and less than insistent upon the imperatives of coherence, then the novel may gladden and entertain with its colorful descriptions, downhome charm and curiously upbeat stamp.

Rating:
Summary: I am amazed at the new voice discovered here
Review: When an old cynic cries, when he finds hope in what were some of the darkest days of the hatred of Mississippi segregation, he cannot but rejoice in the new voice of Melinda Haynes has come to American fiction. The dust jacket hype of this book, which almost kept me from buying it was understated. This is a genuine talent. I am afraid Haynes may be undervalued because hers is a genuine voice of hope in the midst of darkness, not I'm afraid a popular voice in modern fiction...if indeed a book like this can be called fiction. It is about the South and racial politics, and its charactyers have mythic names like Even Grade and Valuable Korners...now two of my closest novel friends, and so close to real people I have known. I nknow this will be come a movie, and I almost hate it. Somehow a movie would almost rape the intmacy of the book, and are there actors strong enough to keep these very potent characters from becoming charicatures -- a thin line that Haynes walks the whole book. I think that is what makes this story of death and redemption in the racial turmoil of the mid 1950s in Mississippi so special.Haynes digs so deep into southern folklore and her voice is that open clarity of Eudora Welty, with the undertones that made FLannery O'Connor so "Christ Haunted." It has been a long time since I have read a book that made me want to call the author and have a two-hour heart-to-heart...this is it. --Mike TAlbert

Rating:
Summary: Interesting story but choppy writing
Review: The story of Val, Joleb, Even and Grace was interesting. But Joody Two Sun was too unrealistic. The writing didn't flow and one had to persevere to find out what would happen. The ending wasn't as predictable as I feared it would be. I have read all of Oprah's picks and this one is one is not the worse but certainly not one of the best.

Rating:
Summary: Good story, if you can find it
Review: Haynes characters are certainly interesting and very appealing, and the story is good..BUT,the writing is so "wordy". Almost painful digging through it to get to the story. I can feel the labor of love she put into writing this book. I went through my own sort of labor reading it.

Rating:
Summary: Don't waste your time and money
Review: It's amazing when a few people say a book is good, everyone believes them. Mother of Pearl could be readable if some of its glaring flaws were addressed. The author says it's the fifties; but her so-called rural characters speak urban 90's. Her time line is not accurate, and the coarse writing jumps around too much for any kind of flow or plot, if indeed the book had a plot. Back to the keyboard!

Rating:
Summary: Powerful writing!
Review: I found MOTHER OF PEARL to be extremely well written, and agree with the reviewer who suggested reading this book slowly to savor every nuance of the author's prose. I also agree with the other reviewer who praised THE TRIUMPH AND THE GLORY, which is an entirely different type of novel but graced with the same deep passion for justice and humanity.

Rating:
Summary: This author needs to learn how to construct sentences!
Review: This has certainly been a unique read. I do not know where this author was educated but the writing is very poor. The story, which is one of hope and redempton, can at times hold thereader's interest, however, each sentence is a chore to get through. Not worth the struggle!

Rating:
Summary: Mother Of Pearl- Another Book Worthy Of A Movie!
Review: After reading the synopsis of this story, I am using my ability to cast the roles for this movie. In my mind's eye, I would imagine that the main roles would be played by unknowns who, by the end of the movie would become "household names". I would have Susan Lucci play the role of Val's "sinful" mom, have Whoopie Goldberg would play Neva and I would have Brandy play the role of Bea. And Oprah Winfrey would be the executive producer!

Rating:
Summary: ******DEEPLY*******DEEPLY*******MOVING
Review: To be brief: Make sure you take the time to read this book. You won't be disappointed. I also recommend "The Coldest Winter Ever" and "PSEUDO COOL."